Boulder Neighborhoods? Heatherwood? Gunbarrel? (Longmont, Broomfield: houses, to buy, new construction)

[pivoine]

Hello,

We are moving to Boulder for a job my husband has been offered and we are curious about what appears to be referred to as the Heatherwood and/or Gunbarrel area. We have a toddler and are looking to buy a house in the 400s. We like character in homes, are interested in music, art, science, running/swimming and want to meet other young families. We have to find someplace rather quickly and are having a difficult time ascertaining the nuances of different areas. For instance: Northeast Boulder vs South Boulder, etc.

Are the young families (We are 40, btw) mainly in places like Louisville and Longmont, or are there areas to focus on on the outskirts that are also really nice with good schools? My husband drove through Louisville when he was there for the interview and he didn't think the feel was right for us, but we will be looking at it anyway.

We are planning a trip to look at houses next week, but any help would be wonderful. Thank you so much in advance.

[Katiana]

There are loads of families your ages in Louisville. What did your husband not like about it? Just curious. As far as helping you, there is a ton of information on this forum about all these cities. It would be a good idea to do a search and read it, just to get started.

[suzco]

Any place that you identify as Boulder will be fine. In the olden days (all of 5 years ago or so) Heatherwood and Gunbarrel would have been thought of as the cheaper parts of town. They still are, as in, you can get more for your money than you can in city of Boulder (meaning even in the parts of Heatherwood and Gunbarrel that are politically city of Boulder). Geograpically, you're farther from downtown Boulder if you're in Gunbarrel or Heatherwood. They're safe, they're Boulder Valley School District, etc. They're both decidedly suburban in style. Depending where your jobs are, they can be more or less convenient. i.e. if you work at IBM, Gunbarrel is closer than Boulder. As is Celestial Seasonings. But if you work at C.U., you're farther away. Not sure what you mean by "character" in a neighborhood, but you might not find it in Heatherwood or Gunbarrel, as in they're relatively newer, suburban areas rather than older areas in city of Boulder.

[Katiana]

I have some friends who live in Gunbarrel/Heatherwood. One thing some don't like is that there is no rec center in the immediate area. It is a bit of a drive (maybe 20 min) to the N. Boulder RC. Also, you pay out of city rates, b/c you are out of the city. Very few of these homes are actually in Boulder. Years ago, Boulder annexed the commercial areas but not the residential, to make money. Yes, I agree Gunbarrel and Heatherwood are more suburban. The homes are no longer really new, some are 30 yrs old. Most of them are larger than what you'd get in the city for the same money.

[Bradburn1]

Boulder is great, I love it (although don't like the traffic which I can't figure out because the city has greater than 50% bike ridership?), but Boulder is very, very expensive. As I'm sure you've discovered, it's the San Fran of Colorado (as far as prices!). There are lots of families though with small in kids in Boulder, but there are also lots in the surrounding areas such as Louisville, Superior, and Broomfield.

If you like character I would avoid Superior and most of Broomfield, they are primarily cookie cutter subdivisions, but they have much lower prices than Boulder and nice amenities for families--also both have great views of the mountains are are a close commute to Boulder. I would take a look at Louisville again, there some really cool areas of that smaller town. You might also take a gander at Lafayette, although a friend who lives there tells me not all the schools are so hot.

Did you want to buy new construction or older construction? There are areas with new construction and character around Boulder, but it depends what you mean by character. What size house do you need? Do you want to be able to walk to things? How far of a commute can you tolerate in exchange for a house that fits your budget/needs?

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Bradburn1

. . . You might also take a gander at Lafayette, although a friend who lives there tells me not all the schools are so hot. . .

You should be aware that Lafayette *is* part of Boulder Valley School District. Throughout the district, open enrollment is available, and many families throughout the district take advantage of it, choosing schools they think are most appropriate for their kids. Enrollment in charter schools in the district is by district-wide lottery, as is enrollment in neighborhood schools that are not the school attendance neighborhood in which you live (if there are fewer openings than the number of students applying to open enroll).

[pivoine]

Thank you all, for this helpful information. My husband's job will be nearer to IBM & Celestial Seasonings, so Gunbarrel/Heatherwood are not that out-of-the-way for us.

I think that what he found about Louisville was he felt it was a bit cookie-cutterish. Are there other areas within the town that you feel have a different feel? The other thing is that it wouldn't be that close to his work, so the north/east section might work better for us. Of course, we will be driving around, so we will see for ourselves, but if you have a particular area that you know about, that would be great.

By character, we mean homes that weren't built in the 80s or 90s with oak cabinetry and brass fixtures--that type of thing. We like older homes that have been remodeled--say from the 60s or 70s. We are not against a newer home with an interesting feel.

We have seen some interesting properties online, and will see them when we get there. As I said, the location of Gunbarrel/Heatherwood work for us, but I think having to drive to Boulder for the rec center, etc. is a consideration. Are there any other desirable areas on the eastern side that anyone might recommend we take a look at?

Thank you all again so much.

[BigCheeze]

I have to sound like a broken record, but also maybe check out the Firestone/Fredrick area. They are really building it to be "family friendly". It's well with in your price range, a quick and easy drive to your husbands work; however.... it's fairly cookie-cutter. I still think it's worth a little bit of your time to check out the area, you might like it.

Also for school information it's in the St Vrain Valley School District.

Good luck

[Bradburn1]

Well, you might take a look at Prospect New Town in Longmont. Is about 15-20 minute drive from IBM. That development is as anti-cookie cutter as you can get!!!!

[jkcoop]

Have you considered Niwot or Longmont?
Agreed, Prospect is definitely not cookie cutter
We live on the southwest side of Longmont. Our son goes to Sunset Middle School and will go to Niwot High.
There is a great, relatively new rec center on the south side of Longmont. And at one point there was an article in the paper about a huge new health club that was going to be built at Hwy 119 as you are leaving/entering Longmont from the south.